It's an interesting point -- I think some of it matters what the shorthand is. I wouldn't be surprised if some anime-themed costumes that suffer in the CONvergence masquerade because they reference something that goes over a judges head -- I know that I miss a few. Or perhaps a video game reference that I miss.

YES. The context is very important! Which fans are we talking about? Which local favorites generate the buzz and get read/watched more often than the Hugo winners?

It's especially difficult when I think one of the joys of fandom is the shared inside joke.

Agreed. While I appreciated the key to the Legion of Super-Connies last year, I felt bad for Chris that he had to explain the joke...and also for myself because I really didn't get the vast majority of the references.